The photo, from the GOES-16 satellite, is one of the first high resolution images from the satellite's Advanced Baseline Imager.

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The photo shows the entire western hemisphere.

“Seeing these first images from GOES-16 is a foundational moment for the team of scientists and engineers who worked to bring the satellite to launch and are now poised to explore new weather forecasting possibilities with this data and imagery,” said Stephen Volz, Ph.D., NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services. “The incredibly sharp images are everything we hoped for based on our tests before launch. We look forward to exploiting these new images, along with our partners in the meteorology community, to make the most of this fantastic new satellite.”

NASA

The satellite launched on Nov. 19, 2016. NASA says the satellite's imagry ushers in a new "era of Earth and weather observation for the U.S."